Euphorbia plant named &#39;Bonpri 9276&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia  plant named ‘Bonpri 9276’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; inflorescences with dark pink-colored flower bracts; and good post-production longevity.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Euphorbia Plant Named ‘Bonpri 9172’

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

‘BONPRI 9276’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia plant, an interspecific hybrid botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Bonpri 9276’.

The new Euphorbia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the program is to create and develop new interspecific Euphorbia plants with compact, upright and mounded plant habit and attractive flower bracts.

The new Euphorbia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra identified as code number 574, not patented. The new Euphorbia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the proprietary selection in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in May, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Euphorbia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since June, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Euphorbia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonpri 9276’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonpri 9276’ as a new and distinct Euphorbia plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Inflorescences with dark pink-colored flower bracts.     -   6. Good post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of the parent selection in flower bract color as plants of the parent selection have hot pink-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can be compared to plants of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpri 9172’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application filed concurrently. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of ‘Bonpri 9172’ in flower bract color as plants of ‘Bonpri 9172’ have red-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can also be compared to plants of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpridepcom’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,324. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Euphorbia differed primarily from plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia had longer and thicker lateral         branches than plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.     -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.     -   3. Plants of the new Euphorbia had larger leaves than plants of         ‘Bonpridepcom’.     -   4. Plants of the new Euphorbia had more inflorescences than         plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.     -   5. Plants of the new Euphorbia and ‘Bonpridepcom’ in flower         bract color as plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’ have dark red         purple-colored flower bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Euphorbia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Euphorbia plant. The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonpri 9276’ grown in a container. The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Bonpri 9276’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and herewith described in detail were grown during the autumn and winter in 12-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Euphorbia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were four months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fourth Edition, 2007, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex     Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpri 9276’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia     cornastra identified as code number 574, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at 18° C. to             25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at 16° C.             to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at 18° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at 16° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Upright and mounded plant habit;             inverted triangle; inflorescences positioned above the             foliar plane; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 42 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 51 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely             branching habit, about 13 lateral branches develop per             plant. Length: About 31 cm. Diameter: About 5.5 mm.             Internode length: About 5.8 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright to             outwardly spreading. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 143A; distally tinged with close             to 63A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 10.8 cm. Width: About 6 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Venation             pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent. Color: Developing leaves, upper             surface: Close to N137B. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Close to 137C. Fully developed leaves, upper surface: Close             to 139A; venation, close to 145C. Fully developed leaves,             lower surface: Close to N138B; venation, close to 145C.             Petioles: Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.9 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 77A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with numerous flower bracts subtending             the cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliar             plane.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About twelve inflorescences             develop per plant.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 17 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 3 cm.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the             autumn and winter in Japan; inflorescence initiation and             development can also be induced under artificial long             nyctoperiod and short photoperiod conditions; early             flowering habit, plants flower about seven weeks under             natural season conditions in Japan.         -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;             plants of the new Euphorbia maintain good substance and             bract color for about six weeks.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18. Length,             largest bracts: About 5.8 cm. Width, largest bracts: About             3 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture,             lower surface: Pubescent. Aspect: Mostly horizontal.             Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Color: Transitional             bracts, upper surface: Close to N137A and 63B. Transitional             bracts, lower surface: Close to 138B. Developing bracts,             upper surface: Close to N66A. Developing bracts, lower             surface: Close to 68B. Fully expanded bracts, upper surface:             Close to 50A; venation, close to 61A. Fully expanded bracts,             lower surface: Close to 65A; venation, close to 149B. Flower             bract petioles: Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent.             Color, upper surface: Close to 149B.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About ten. Diameter of cyathia             cluster: About 1.25 cm. Height, individual cyathium: About             6.5 mm. Diameter, individual cyathium: About 3.5 mm. Shape,             individual cyathium: Globose; sessile. Color: Close to 59A.             Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: One. Size: About 1.3 mm by             2.5 mm. Color: Close to 182A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.8 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright to outward.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium:             Numerous. Anther shape: Lanceolate or globose. Anther             length: About 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm. Anther color: Close to 60C.             Amount of pollen: None observed. Pistils: Plants of the new             Euphorbia have not been observed to develop pistils. Seeds             and fruits: Seed and fruit production has not been observed             on plants of the new Euphorbia. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Euphorbia     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 8° C. to about     40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpri 9276’ as illustrated and described. 